Public Safety and Legal Counsel

Governors legal counsel serve as senior staff, overseeing legal issues with legislation, policy, executive orders, administrative actions, and executive appointments. Additionally, Governors are focused on public safety, crime, delinquency and related social and economic consequences. NGA serves the needs of governors and their policy advisors in a broad range of criminal, sentencing, corrections and justice-related policies.

Latest

State of the State: Criminal Justice and Public Safety Priorities

Governors’ 2022 State of the State speeches highlighted various efforts to address a myriad of criminal justice and public safety issues set to challenge the nation in the year ahead ...
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Governors Advance Bipartisan Working Group to Drive Solutions on School and Community Safety

National Governors Association Chair Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and National Governors Association Vice Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy released the following statement on the formation of a bipartisan working ...
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NGA Chairman & Vice Chairman Issue Statement on Congressional Gun Safety Legislation

WASHINGTON D.C. – National Governors Association (NGA) Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and NGA Vice Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy have issued the following statement responding to the bipartisan ...
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Letter to President Biden on School Safety

National Governors Association Chair Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and National Governors Association Vice Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. regarding the ...
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Briefing on State-Tribal Legal Affairs

On Tuesday, May 31, the National Governors Association hosted a its monthly legal counsel briefing on State-Tribal Legal Affairs. The call provided a high-level overview of the state-tribal legal landscape, ...
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NGA Public Safety networks

Governors Criminal Justice Policy Advisors Network

The Governors Criminal Justice Policy Advisors (CJPAs) Network provides a forum for governors’ criminal and juvenile justice policy advisors to connect with their peers in other states, promote regional information sharing and collaboration, and learn about best practices and the latest research in the field. NGA convenes CJPAs for an annual institute and offers customized technical assistance to them as requested through research and strategic planning support.

Consortium Of State Public Safety Executives

The Consortium of State Public Safety Executives is a network of cabinet-level secretaries and commissioners from across the country who are responsible for oversight of their state’s public safety enterprise, including state police, fire, corrections, emergency management and/or other related agencies. Through the consortium, members can connect with their peers in other states to share lessons learned, receive briefings from national experts on best practices in the field and receive ongoing technical support from NGA staff.

Resources

FirstNet Appointments

The Honorable Wilbur Ross Secretary U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, DC 20230 Michael Poth Chief Executive Officer First Responder Network Authority 12201 Sunshine Valley Drive Reston, ...
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States Work to Improve Traffic Safety

WASHINGTON - The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) today announced five states, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia, have been selected to participate in a learning ...
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States Work to Improve Resilience Against Human and Natural Disasters

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association today announced that it will work with Idaho, Maryland and Oregon to test its forthcoming State Resilience Assessment and Planning Tool (SRAP Tool) and identify best practices in adapting to, withstanding ...
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School Safety and Prevention (March 2018)

In light of the devastating events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the NGA Education Division hosted a School Safety and Prevention Webinar for Governors’ Education Policy Advisors on Mar ...
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Governors: ‘Today We Stand With All Floridians’

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association today released a statement following yesterday’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people and left more than a dozen ...
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State Public Safety and Autonomous Vehicle Technology

Autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize how we move people and goods. As states navigate implementing this new technology, they face a number of potential public safety opportunities and ...
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State Strategies to Reduce Highway and Traffic Fatalities and Injuries: A Road Map for States

Summary With 39 states reporting an increase in traffic fatalities in 2016, traffic safety policy, programs and practices remain a pressing concern across the nation—and governors are an essential part ...
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States Focus on Reducing Traffic Injuries and Fatalities

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) announced that five states, Colorado, Connecticut,Minnesota, Washington and Utah, have been selected to participate in a learning lab that will ...
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Reducing Burdensome Cyber Regulations

Mick Mulvaney Director Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503 Dear Director Mulvaney, On behalf of the Nation’s governors and state chief information officers, ...
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NGA Works to Prevent Violent Extremism in States

WASHINGTON—As recent incidents have shown, violent extremism remains a multifaceted and complex threat at the state, local and federal levels. The National Governors Association (NGA), through a two-year grant provided ...
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Governors React to Mass Shooting in Nevada

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association today released a statement following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday that killed at least 50 people and left more than 400 injured: “The nation’s ...
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Joint Association Letter on FY18 NDAA Conference Priorities

The Honorable John McCain Chairman Senate Armed Services Committee 218 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Jack Reed Ranking Member Senate Armed Services Committee 218 Russell Senate ...
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